In shaving, it is desirable to achieve a close shave, while also providing good shaving comfort. Factors that affect shaving performance include the frictional resistance between the blade edge and the skin and the cutter force applied by the blade to the hair.
It is desirable to provide a razor cartridge having a plurality of razor blades contained therein each of which has a sharpened edge. The sharpened edge reduces the cutter force of the blade as it engages the hair thereby improving shaving comfort. However, it has been found that when using blades with low cutter force in a cartridge and arranged to have a progressive geometry such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,777, the overall shaving experience becomes uncomfortable. It is believed that this is due to the fact that there is an overall acceptable shaving pressure level that may be applied against the skin. If the shaving pressure is too high, the skin will be irritated. In a razor cartridge with progressive geometry, the last blade having a positive exposure will lead to an unacceptable shaving pressure if the cutter force is too low.
It is desirable to provide a razor cartridge having blades with sharpened edges that does not produce an unacceptable shaving pressure applied to the skin of the user.